As we approach the end of the year, I find myself reflecting on the journey we have been on. 2024 was a dynamic year. A year full of courageous goals, unexpected challenges, transformational accomplishments, and a renewed fervor for the mission that drives us at Jefferson Center.

At Jefferson Center, we hold as a core belief and as a vision, that mental health matters and behavioral health care should be accessible for all who need it. We strive towards this every day, embracing the challenges, taking big leaps toward making this vision more of a reality for the people we serve with each passing year. While the path on this journey is never quite what we imagine, we continue to have our compass pointed firmly toward our vision. I continue to marvel in the strength and resilience of our teams and communities as we collectively pursue a community where mental health matters and care is accessible to all.

We started the year looking forward to a merger, allowing us to grow and serve our communities on a larger scale; growing our teams and services to support those who may not have access to care or resources; and using new technology and innovations to better support our teams, providing high-quality care.

The statewide reductions in safety net funding, along with a number of transformations within the behavioral health system in Colorado, led to several challenges, including the decision to discontinue our merger process, and the necessity to invest our energy in solving the financial challenges that threatened to reduce our capacity to provide care to those we serve.

In the pursuit of big goals, you learn to expect the unexpected, and pivot through the obstacles that emerge. Because no matter what-our commitment is to the people we serve, to our community, and being the trusted resource and advocate for mental health and wellbeing.

This year pushed us all, but through facing the unexpected, we saw incredible resiliency and a community of support that stepped in to say, mental health matters to us and we are in this together. 

Through the course of the year, we accomplished several incredible goals. We celebrated the opening of Solid Ground, our new permanent supportive housing; expanded access to critical acute care services for youth, we announced 12 years running as a Top Work Place; and amplified our use of innovative technologies like Eleos and Mend to enhance support for our teams and the people we serve.

Our journey this year may not have been what we expected, but the celebrations and challenges we faced throughout the year continued to shed light on how critical our daily work is. Through it all, our mission and our culture has shone through, as I watch our teams and community partners lifting each other up and continuing to do the work that makes a difference every day.

As I reflect on this year, I am abundantly grateful for our team of dedicated people doing this work, for partnerships that lift us up, and for the inspiring stories of hope. And as I look forward to 2025, I am filled with confidence that our work will continue because of the passion and support shared throughout 2024. Thank you to our teams, community, partners, donors, and the people we serve for making this vital work possible. May you all take a moment to reflect on your year, celebrate the accomplishments, learn and grow from the challenges, and know we are here to help you thrive!